The invention is based on a pressure-medium-actuated brake system of a tractor-trailer combination.
Such a brake system is known from the state of the art and contains at least a first brake circuit and a second brake circuit as well as the following:                a) a multiple-circuit braking power sensor connected to a first compressed-air reservoir for the first brake circuit and to a second compressed-air reservoir for the second brake circuit, for generating, as a function of the driver's desires, at least a first pneumatic control signal assigned to the first brake circuit, at least a second pneumatic control signal assigned to the second brake circuit, as well as electric signals;        b) an electronic controlling and regulating unit by which electric control signals can be generated as a function of the electric signals of the multiple-circuit brake power sensor;        c) a control valve device (pressure control module), which can be controlled with a first priority as a function of the electric control signals of the controlling and regulating unit and with a second priority as a function of the first pneumatic control signal and/or the second pneumatic control signal for generating a modulated control pressure for the trailer; and        d) a tractor protection valve, which can be connected with at least one compressed-air reservoir and by which a supply pressure and, as a function of the modulated control pressure, also a brake pressure can be modulated for a brake system of the trailer.        
In this case, two supply pressure conduits exist between the multiple-circuit brake power sensor and the first and the second compressed air reservoirs; two additional supply pressure conduits exist between the control valve device and the first and second compressed-air reservoir; and a control pressure conduit exists between the multiple-circuit braking power sensor and the control valve device. Since the multiple-circuit braking power sensor and the control valve device, as well as additional components of the brake system, are arranged at a certain spatial distance from one another, a plurality of relatively long pneumatic conduits and electric lines are obtained for the mutual connection of these components. As a result of the number and the length of the pneumatic conduits and electric lines, the number of required connection and fastening points is also increased, which has an unfavorable effect on the production and manufacturing costs of such a brake system. Furthermore, the leakage and error probability of the brake system also rises.
It is therefore an object of the present invention to further develop a pressure-medium-operated brake system of the above-mentioned type in such a manner that its production becomes simpler and more cost-effective. Furthermore, its reliability is to be increased.
According to the invention, this object is achieved in that at least the multiple-circuit braking power sensor and the control valve device (pressure control module) are arranged directly adjacent to one another and are combined into a constructional unit.